Stormee Kipp taken on role in Sooyii film
Actor Stormee Kipp on set.
By DANA HERNANDEZ
Sho-Ban News
MISSOULA, Mont. — Shoshone-Bannock tribal member, Stormee Kipp, plays the lead role in the Independent film, Sooyii, which is a film based on the smallpox outbreak amongst the Blackfeet people.
Sooyii was filmed in Montana on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and features an all Native acting cast.
Kipp, who is also Blackfeet, is the son of Michelle Kipp and the late Gerad Kipp. He is the grandson of Dr. LaNada Warjack, Gigi Kipp, and Loretta Evening. He is 20 years old and is currently attending the University of Montana where he is majoring in psychology.
Kipp said the movie is called “Creatures” or “Sooyii”, but doesn’t know what the headline will be just yet. Kipp said shooting for the movie took place during the summer. He also said the movie is set in the 1700’s and it was shot all in the Blackfeet language. “The entire script was in Blackfeet, there was no English in it at all,” said Kipp.
He said he is not fluent in the Blackfeet language, and he had to do a couple of lessons to get the linguistics down and the rest was just on his own accord and work. Using the Blackfeet language in this movie was landmark, Kipp said it has never really been done before. “I think this movie linguistically is a big step for Natives and their communities,” said Kipp.
He said the director, Krisztian Kery, kind of found him when he attended a workshop a couple of summers ago. Kipp said he must have really liked him then and told him that he was doing a movie soon and if he wanted to be the lead actor for it.
Stormie said it is not his first time acting, but said it is his first time acting in a movie this big, and has done some other small things. “Acting is alright,” said Kipp.
Shooting for the movie began in July and ended in August. Kipp said being the lead role for the movie helped him gain insight into the behind the scenes part of making movies. “Working with people who have done some other big movies was pretty eye-opening.”
“The movie will be a big step for Natives in the film making area of Hollywood. Instead of Natives just having wigs on to having actual Natives playing their role and saying ‘hey we’re here and we can do the part,’” said Kipp.
